al-Ikhtiyarat al-Fiqhiyya li al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim fi Masa'il al-Ibadat
- Author died
- 1389 AH
- Editions
- al-Ikhtiyarat al-Fiqhiyya li al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim fi Masa'il al-Ibadat
al-Ikhtiyarat al-Fiqhiyya li al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim fi Masa'il al-Ibadat (The Jurisprudential Choices of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim in Matters of Worship) is a compilation of the legal preferences and rulings of the former Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al al-Shaykh (1311–1389 AH / 1893–1969 CE), collected and arranged by Khalid ibn Sa'ud ibn 'Amir al-'Ajmi .
Source and Compilation
The material in the work is extracted directly from the multi-volume compendium Fatawa wa-Rasa'il al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Al al-Shaykh, which was originally compiled, organized, and edited by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Qasim . The compiler, Khalid al-'Ajmi, gathered these rulings to make Muhammad ibn Ibrahim's legal deductions (istinbat), preferences (tarjih), examinations of scholarly positions, and refutations of opposing views readily accessible to students of Islamic law and the general public . The compilation of the manuscript was completed on Saturday night, 28 Shawwal 1438 AH .
Structure and Content
The volume begins with foundational discussions on legal methodology and principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), addressing topics such as the sources of legal evidence, consensus (ijma'), the reconciliation and grading of scholarly disagreements, the distinction between individual and collective obligations (fard 'ayn and fard kifaya), and rules regarding following legal concessions and authoritative proofs . It emphasizes adherence to prophetic traditions whenever authentic reports conflict with individual companion opinions or personal reasoning .
The main text then gathers Muhammad ibn Ibrahim's specific rulings across the traditional branches of ritual worship ('ibadat), including purification, prayer, zakah, fasting, and pilgrimage . In annotating the text, the compiler preserved relevant commentary written by Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Qasim from the original collection, attributing those specific footnotes with the tag "(al-Qasim)" .
Appendix
At the conclusion of the volume, the compiler appended the complete, unabridged text of Muhammad ibn Ibrahim's polemical treatise Tahdhir al-Nasik mimma Ahdatha Ibn Mahmud fi al-Manasik (Warning to the Pilgrim Against What Ibn Mahmud Introduced into the Rites) . This treatise was included in full rather than summarized because its interdependent arguments provide a systematic model of legal argumentation, presenting opposing views concerning pilgrimage rites and refuting them with evidence .
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